Mise En Scene

Mise En Scene

Mise en scène is everything that appears before the camera, namely:
• the setting
• the costume and make-up
• the use of figure, expression and movement by actors
• the lighting/filters

The style scale

At one end we have:
Form over content - how things are shown is most important, and beyond a usual representation of reality. Expressionist films are highly stylised, and are characterised by oblique camera angles, distorted shapes, bizarre settings, high contrast lighting and the surreal and subjective.

At the other we have:
Content over form - looks like real life - the intent is to make us forget it is a representation. This is the dominant style of most films, and is sometimes referred to as "the style of no style."

Setting
Setting gives a sense of place and time. You should always analyse the set because it provides important clues about the nature of the film, such as:
• where the action takes place
• when the action takes place
• the mood
• the characters
• the genre of the film.

Costume and make-up
Costume and make-up can be considered as part of the set, because they indicate:
• the period
• the state of society
• social class
• cultural backgrounds
• character traits.
Changes in costume indicate changes in character, e.g.:
• rich to poor
• taking off clothes as lowering defences.
Clothing might also be a trademark.

Figure, expression and movement
• Body language
• appearance
• facial expressions (very significant in close-ups)
• sound elements.
The way a character stands and moves is important.
• If they are the foreground they might be considered more important.
• If they move against a stationary background attention is drawn to them.
• Even distribution of characters makes for a balanced shot, whereas uneven distribution is unsettling to the eye.
• Positioning of characters within the frame may even indicate emotional distance.

Props
What is being used in the scene is key as it can tell you everything about the charcter and also be key to representation. It is also an element to shaping our opinions about character. For example:
• Having a character use an old fashioned phone as opposed to an ipod touch
• A can of Stella Artois in a teen drama
• A cigarette

Look for objects in hands, having extreme close ups, given to other characters, being drawn attention to.You MUST talk about the SIGNS and SIGNIFIERS of the Mise En Scene, e.g. "This signifies to the audience that ..."